Method and apparatus for interleaving slabs of food with ribbon of divider material



28, 1956 B. T. HENSGEN ETAL. 2,760,371

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERLEAVING SLABS OF FOOD WITH RIBBON OF DIVIDER MATERIAL Filed Sept. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TORS BER/YARD Z HEW/56E RALPH M. FA usr z ATTORNEY tilrlll Aug. 28, 1956 HENSGEN ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERLEAVING SLABS OF FOOD WITH RIBBON OF DIVIDER MATERIAL Filed Sept. 17, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS BBQ/YARD 7". HE/VSGE/V RALPH M ev United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERLEAVING SLABS OF FOOD WITH RIBBON. F DIVIDER MATERIAL Bernard T. Hensgen, Chicago, and Ralph M. Faust, Westchester, Ill., assignors to Swift & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 17, 1954, Serial No. 456,680

9 Claims. (Cl. 99-171 The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing groups of slabs of product having .a strip of divider material woven therethrough. The slabs may be obtained by various procedures such as by cutting. slices from a block or by molding individual slabs.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby a pie-arranged numberof slabs is assembled into a compact group at one time. This not only tends to be economical of movements but it facilitates the arranging of a neat, prope'rly arranged, stack of slabs. When such a group or Stack is assembled slab by slab, it is often extremely difficult to emplace each slab in exactly an identical manner with the result that some misalignment may re- 'sult. Efforts to square up the stack after it has been assembled are difficult because the moving of one slab y to bring it into alignment often results in disturbing the proper position of another slab. This is particularly true when dealing with a material such as cheese that tends to adhere and set as it stands for a period of time.

A further object of the present invention is the simplicity that is achieved in the operational movements as well as in the machinery that may be employed to carry out the process. This provides speedy and facile operation. The apparatus employed is simple to construct and operate. With few exceptions it can be constructed from standard parts, readily available.

Additional objects and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a. side elevation of an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken at line 22 of Figure 1; Figure, 3 is a section taken at line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view taken at. line 44 of Figure 1 illustrating particularly the control and drive apparatus;

Figure 5 is an elevation of an alternative embodiment of making the accordion fold; and

' Figure 6 is an isometric view illustrating diagrammatically an alternative procedure for carrying out the method of the present invention.

The. method of the present invention comprises the steps of arranging in a row a plurality of the slabs which .are to be formed into a group, with spaces being left between the slabs greater in size than the corresponding dimension of the slabs. A ribbon of divider material is then laid across a side of the slabs extending the length of the row and an additional slab is inserted in .each space between a pair of the slabs in the original row. The result is that adjacent slabs are on opposite s ides of the ribbon of divider material. The slabs are then moved together to bring the slabs into a group with the. divider material being woven through the group. In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, the slabs are arranged in a row with a narrow edge of each Patented Aug. 28, 13.56

slab being adjacent the adjoining slabs rather than one of the large faces being next to the adjacent slab. The ribbon of divider material is drawn across the large faces of the slabs and the additional slabs are inserted in the spaces again with the narrow faces of the slabs being next to the adjacent slab. An accordion fold is made of the row of slabs so as to produce the group with the ribbon of divider material being woven therethrough. In the process illustrated in Figure 6 the large faces of the slabs are put next to each other rather than the small faces as in the procedure illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In the case illustrated in Figure 6 the performing of an accordion fold is not necessary after the inser tion of the intermediate slabs but rather it is only necessary that the slabs be moved together to form a compact group with the ribbon of divider material being woven through the group.

Referring to Figure l, the apparatus comprises a con veyor generally 10, a folding mechanism generally 11, and a power and control mechanism generally 12. for the conveyor and the folding mechanism. The conveyor 10 is driven by the power mechanism 12 so as to move product along the conveyor in the direction indicated by the arrow 13. In carrying out the method, a first slab feeding means generally 14 deposits a series of slabs.16 at spaced intervals on the conveyor. The spaces 17 are greater in sizethan the size of the slabs being assembled into a group. A ribbon of divider material 18 from a roll 19 is laid across the top of slabs 16 and across the spaces 17 intermediate of the slabs 16. Subsequently a second slab feeding means generally 21 deposits a slab 22 in each of the spaces 17 which slab 22 will overlie the ribbon 18 while the initial slab 16 will be under the ribbon 18. A ribbon cutter generally 23 is periodically actuated to sever the ribbon to create groups of slabs. In the illustrated embodiment each group comprises eight slabs, although various numbers could be employed to suit individual desires. The folding mechanism 11 then makes an accordion fold of the slabs to create a group of slabs having a ribbon woven therethrough as illustrated in dotted lines at'24.

In Figure 5 the structurefor assembling the groups of slabs corresponds to that of Figure 1. However, the folding apparatus generally 26 is substantially different in construction than is that employed in Figure l. The folding apparatus of Figure 5, however, is the same in the basic principle in that an accordion fold is made of the group so as to produce a stack of slabs 27 having the ribbon of divider material woven therethrough.

Referring again to Figure 1 for a more detailed description of the structure, the conveyor 10 is mounted on a frame generally 30. The conveyor includes four pulleys 31, two of which aremounted on an idler shaft 32 and two of which are mounted on the driving shaft 33. Each of shafts 32 and 33 is journaled in bearings 34. On each shaft 32 and 33 thepulleys 31 are spaced from each other the distance indicated by spaced belts 35 shown in Figures 2 and 3. Between the two pulleys 31 on shaft 33 is a sprocket 36 which drives shaft 33 and the conveyor 10. A pair of plates 37 forming a part of frame 30 are positioned under each of belts 35 to support the belts.

The power and control mechanism 12 is driven by an electric motor 40 which is attached by a coupling 41 to the input shaft of a speed reduction gear box 42. As seen in Figure 4, the double output shaft 43 of a gear box 42 is connected to a first shaft 44 by a coupling 45 and to a second shaft 46 by a coupling 47. Each of shafts 44 and 46 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 48 attached to frame 30. A sprocket 50 attached to shaft 46 drives a chain 51 (Figure 1) which in turn rotates a sprocket 52 secured to shaft-SS-suitably journaled in frame 30. A driving element having pins 56 thereon is attached to shaft 53 and intermittently rotates the driven element 57 of a Geneva drive. The driven element has four slots 58 therein which are engaged consecutively by pins 56 to rotate the driven ele ment 57 ninety degrees at a time in a manner well known in the art. Driven element 57 is attached to a shaft 59 and rotates a sprocket 61] also attached to shaft 59. A chain 61 connects sprocket 6t) and sprocket 36 to provide the step or intermittent movement to conveyor 18.

A cam 64 also is attached to shaft 53. A cam follower 65 attached to one arm of a rocker 66 rides on cam 64 and is held against the cam by a spring 67 connected between a portion of frame 30 and the other arm of rocker 66. Said other arm of rocker 66 has a slot 68 therein to receive a pin 69 in the slicer drive lever 70. Rocker 66 is pivotally mounted on shaft 71.

The slab feeding means 14 comprises a chute 1'5 attached to frame 30 and adapted to hold one or more blocks of cheese 76. Adjacent the bottom of the chute is a feeding means generally 77 for the blocks 76. Feeding means 77 includes a pair of shafts 78 on each side of chute 75, which shafts are journaled in frame 311. Attached to each of shafts 7'8 is a pulley 79 and a gear 80. The gears 80 on each of shafts 78 mesh With each other so that the two shafts rotate in unison. An arm 82 is journaled on each of shafts 78 and each extends upwardly from the shaft with the two arms 82 being urged toward each other by a spring 83. The upper ends of arms 82 rotatably support shafts 84 on which are pulleys 85. Belts 86 rotate around each pair of pulleys 79 and 85. The sides of the chute 75 are open with the belts 86 being narrow enough to pass through the openings. Thus spring 83 holds the belts in engage ment with the sides of the blocks of cheese 76 through the openings in the sides of chute 75. One of shafts 78 carries a sprocket 88 which is connected by a chain 89 to a sprocket 90 on shaft 33.

The other of the slab feeding means 21 is identical with the slab feeding means 14 just described except that it does not have a sprocket 88 to drive the slab feeding means. Instead, sprockets 91 and 91' on shafts 78 and 78 of feeding means 14 and 21, respectively, are interconnected by a chain 92 to drive the two slab feeding means.

Referring to Figure 2, a yoke 95 is slidably supported on a pair of rods 96 fastened to frame 38. The two arms of the yoke 95 extend above the top of the conveyor belts 35 and are interconnected by a cutting wire 97. As the block of cheese 76 is fed downwardl by the block feeding means 77' by the engagement of belt 86 with the block of cheese, wire 97 is moved back and forth slicing 01f slabs from the bottom of blocks 76. This movement is obtained from cam 64 through rocker arm 66 and slicer drive lever 70 which is attached to the bottom of yoke 95. The other end of slicer drive lever 78 connects to a slicer mechanism generally 98 for feeding means 14, the construction of which corresponds to that illustrated and described in Figure 2.

Upright member 180 of frame 30 carries a stub shaft 181 to hold the roll of divider material 19. The divider material from roll 19 passes around a feed roll 102, an idler roll 103, and into a holder 104. Drive roll 102 is attached to a shaft 106 journaled in upright member and also carrying a sprocket 107. A sprocket (not shown) on the end of shaft 33 drives sprocket 107 through a chain 108. Inasmuch as the movement of conveyor 10 is periodic as a result of the action of the Geneva drive, the demand for the divider material 18 is intermittent. Holder 104 permits the accumulation of the divider material and allows its being payed out at the times the conveyor moves and a necessity is created for correspondingly advancing the ribbon.

A knife 110 is attached to the armature 111 of a solenoid 112. The knife extends across the width of the ribbon of divider material 18 and is used to dink the divider material after each eight slices of divider material have passed the knife, thus forming the groups of eight slices. A solenoid base is provided between the belts 35 by support plates 37 so that the knife can cut the ribbon by contact with the base. Solenoid 112 is connected in series with a snap action switch 113 and a suitable source of electric power. Snap action switch 113 is a normally opened switch and is actuated by a cam 114 on a shaft 115 suitably journaled in frame 30. The sprocket 117 on shaft 115 is connected by a chain 118 with a sprocket 119 (Figure 4) on shaft 44.

The folding mechanism 11 includes a lifting mechanism generally 123 and a compressing mechanism generally 124. Lifting mechanism 123 includes a series of eight hinged plates 125. As seen in Figure 3, the hinged plates 125 are sufliciently narrow to pass through the space between belts 35. The hinged plates 125 are supported on a carrier 126 and the end plates 125 are connected to a cable 127. Springs 128 connect cable 127 to bearing member 129 of frame 38. Cable 127 passes over suitable pulleys 1311. Carrier 126 is attached to a lifting rod 133 which is slidably received in bearing 129. A wheel 134 rotatably attached to the lower end of rod 133 forms a cam follower to cooperate with a earn 135 on shaft 115.

The compressing mechanism 124 includes a pair of fluid cylinders 138 and 139 each having a piston rod 148 and 141, respectively. A compressing shoe 142 is attached to the end of each of piston rods 140 and 141. The shoes 142 include a back plate 143and a pair of fingers 144. Fingers 144 are spaced apart substantially the same distance as belts 35 (see Figure 3). The operation of fluid cylinders 138 and 139 is controlled by a cam 145 operating a four-way valve 146 having a pair of pipes 147 and 148 extending to opposite ends of each of the fluid cylinders and having a pipe 149 connected to a suitable source of fluid under pressure (not shown). Pipe 150 is an exhaust or return line. The operation of fluid cylinders by such a valve is well known in the art and forms no part of the present invention. The actuating rod 151 of valve 146 is in a position to contact cam 145 with the end of rod 151 forming a cam follower. A spring Within valve 146 maintains the rod 151 in contact with the cam 145.

As the string of slabs of cheese alternating above and below the ribbon of divider material 18 moves along the conveyor 10, they are divided into groups of eight by knife 110. As each of the groups arrive in the position illustrated by the righthand eight slabs in Figure 1, the rotation of cam 135 raises carrier 126 so that plates 125 rise under the slabs of cheese to lift them from the conveyor 10. Valve 146 is then actuated so that shoes 142 move toward each other. The shoes straddle the plates 125 (see Figure 3) and lift the slabs from the plates. The slanted position of the alternate plates 125 as seen in Figure 1 initiate the direction of the fold of the divider material at each line of juncture between two slabs and an accordion fold is made to form the group of slabs and the group is suspended on fingers 144 of shoes 142. The group may be removed from these fingers by hand or by suitable mechanism not forming a part of this invention. The continued rotation of shaft 115 lowers the lifting mechanism 123 and opens the compressing mechanism 124 to await a new group of eight slabs.

In Figure 5 the folding apparatus 26 comprises a chute 161) to restrain the outward movement of the slash. A slide 161 positions the slabs as they enter the folding mechanism 26 and restrains the inward movement of the slabs during the folding. A pusher generally 162 is positioned behind slide 161 with the knob-like pusher fingers 163 positioned at each side of slide 161. A support bar 164 carries each of fingers 163 and isattached to the armature 167 of a solenoid 168. Solenoid 168 is mounted on frame 30. Solenoid 168 can be actuated by'switch 113. and. controlledby. thecam 114 previously described.

In this embodiment preferably the cutting knife 110' is'positioned immediately above the end of the. row of eight slabs and the solenoid 112" is connectedv in parallel with the solenoid 168 of the pusher. A shoe 170 is pivotally attached to an upright member 171 of frame 30 and is urged. into contact with the top surface of the slabs of cheese or the divider material, as the case may be, by a spring 172. Shoe 170 provides the slight amount of friction necessary to prevent the slabs from moving down slide 161 any faster than the movement of conveyor 10, and also-insures complete contact of paper and cheese so top slices won t fall off the paper when they are on the slide;

At the bottom ofslide 161 is a small ledge 174 on which the edge of the lowermost slab of cheese-will come to rest. Immediately below ledge 174 is a conveyorgenerally 175 which is operated intermittently to move the groups 27 of slabs of cheese away from the folding mechanism.

As eight slabs reach the positionxon slide 161 illustrated in Figure 5, cam L14 actuates. switch 113 to momentarily energize solenoids 168i and 112. Thelatter solenoid ll2' clips the ribbon of divider material as previously described with respect to Figure 1. Solenoid 168 moves the knob-like fingers 163 into contact with alternate lines of juncture of the slabs so as to move the adjacent edges at alternate lines of juncture outwardly while the adjacent edges at the intermediate lines of juncture remain against slide 161. The release of the ribbon along with the simultaneous movement provided by fingers 163 allows the eight slabs to collapse by gravity to form a stack as shown in dotted lines at 27'. This stack is then moved away by conveyor 175.

The description of specific embodiments was for the purpose of complying with 35 U. S. C. 112. Various alternatives will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Such alternatives are deemed to be within the scope of the invention to the extent that they are covered by the appended claims. For example, one of such alternatives is illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6 illustrates an alternate process for preparing the stack of slabs. In this instance the initial slabs 180 are positioned with their large faces 181 adjacent each other rather than the narrow faces 182. The ribbon of divider material 183 is then drawn across one side of the initial slabs 180 and a second group of slabs 184 is inserted in the spaces between the initial slabs 180 in the same alignment as the initial slabs. After the second slabs 184 have been inserted, all the slabs are moved together to form a group.

It will be recognized that this differs from the process of Figures 1 and 5 in that in the latter figures the slabs are aligned with the narrow edges 182 adjacent each other and the ribbon of divider material 183 was drawn across the large faces 181.

We claim:

1. The method of forming a group of slabs of food having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said method including arranging a plurality of slabs in a row with a space between the adjacent slabs greater than the respective dimension of the slabs, loosely laying a ribbon of divider material across the slabs and the spaces therebetween, inserting additional slabs in the spaces at the opposite side of the material, and moving the slabs together into a group of slabs with the material woven therethrough.

2. The method of forming a group of slabs of food having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said method including arranging a plurality of slabs in a row with a space between the adjacent slabs greater than the respective dimension of the slabs, loosely laying a ribbon of divider material across the slabs and the spaces therebetween, inserting additional slabs in the spaces at the; opposite: side of the material, and'accordion folding the slabs in a direction to-produce a group of slabs: with the material woven therethrough.

3. A device for forming a group of slabs having: a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said"de vice including a supporting means, meansto place at least twoof said slabs on said supporting means with-a space between each pair of said' slabs at leastv equal to the size of a slab, means to place a ribbon ofdivid'ermaterial over said slabs and across saidspace, means to insert a slab in the space at theopposite side ofthe ribbon; and means to move the slabs into a group in a direction such thatthe-ribbonis between each adjacent slab.

4; A- device for forming a group of slabs having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said device including a supporting means, means to place" at least two of saidslabs on said supporting means with a space between each painof said slabsat least' equal to the size of aslab, means toplace' a ribbon of-Ldivi'der material over said slabs and across said' space, means to insert a slab in the space at the" opposite side of the ribbon, and means to accordion'fol'd each slab against an, adjacent" slab into a group in a direction such that the ribbon is'between' each" adjacent slab.

5.- A device' for' forming a group of slabs having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said device including a supporting surface, means to place at least two of said slabs on said surface with a space between each pair of said slabs at least equal to the size of a slab, means to place a ribbon of divider material over said slabs and across said space, means to deposit a slab in the space on the ribbon, and means to move a respective edge of alternate slabs along with the edge of adjacent slabs adjacent said respective edges in a given direction to initiate an accordion fold and subsequently to move the slabs toward each other in a direction into a group such that the ribbon is between each adjacent slab.

6. A device for forming a group of slabs having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said device including a supporting surface, means to place at least two of said slabs on said surface with a space between each pair of said slabs at least equal to the size of a slab, means to place a ribbon of divider material over said slabs and across said space, means to deposit a slab in the space on the ribbon, at pusher positioned to strike a respective edge of alternate slabs and to strike the edges of adjacent slabs adjacent said respective edges and to move said edges away from said supporting surface, said supporting surface having recess means to receive said pusher, power means connected to said pusher to move said pusher from said recess means against said slabs, and means to move said slabs together to complete the accordion fold commenced by said pusher.

7. A device for forming a group of slabs having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said device including a frame, a conveyor mounted on said frame to move products along a run at least a portion of which run is substantially horizontal, power means connected to said conveyor to move products on said run in a given direction, a first dispensing means on said frame to deposit a slab on said conveyor at spaced intervals with the spaces between the slabs being greater than the size of a slab, means on said frame in said direction from said dispensing means to place a ribbon of divider material over said slabs and across said spaces, a second dispensing means on said frame in said direction from said last mentioned means to deposit a slab in said spaces on top of said ribbon, and means on said frame in said direction from said second dispensing means to move the slabs in a direction into a group such that the ribbon is between each to move products along a run at least a portion of which run is substantially horizontal, power means connected to said conveyor to move products on said run in a given direction, a first dispensing means on said frame to deposit a slab on said conveyor at spaced intervals with the spaces between the slabs being greater than the size of a slab, means on said frame in said direction from said dispensing means to place a ribbon of divider material over said slabs and across said spaces, a second dispensing means on said frame in said direction from said last mentioned means to deposit a slab in said spaces on top of said ribbon, a pusher positioned to strike a respective edge of alternate slabs and to strike the edges of adjacent slabs adjacent said-respective edges and to move said edges away from said supporting surface, said supporting surface having recess means to receive said pusher, power means connected to said pusher to move said pusher from said recess means against said slabs, and means to move said slabs together to complete the accordion fold commenced by said pusher.

9. A device for forming a group of slabs having a ribbon of divider material wound therethrough, said device including a frame, a conveyor mounted on said frame to move products along a run at least a portion of which run is substantially horizontal, said conveyor including a pair of spaced supports, power means connected to said conveyor to move products on said run in a given direction, a first dispensing means on said frame to deposit a slab on said conveyor at spaced intervals with the spaces between the slabs being greater than the size of a slab, means on said frame in said direction from said dispensing means to place a ribbon of divider material over said slabs and across said spaces, a second dispensing means on said frame in said direction from said last mentioned means to deposit a slab in said spaces on top of said ribbon, a pusher positioned to strike a respective edge of alternate slabs and to strike the edges of adjacent slabs adjacent said respective edges and to move said edges away from said supporting surface, said pusher being mounted on said frame and positioned within the space between said supports, power means connected to said pusher to move said pusher from said space against said slabs, and means to move said slabs together to complete the accordion fold commenced by said pusher.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. THE METHOD OF FORMING A GROUP OF SLABS OF FOOD HAVING A RIBBON OF DIVIDER MATERIAL WOUND THERETHROUGH, SAID METHOD INCLUDING ARRANGING A PLURALITY OF SLABS IN A ROW WITH A SPACE BETWEEN THE ADJACENT SLABS GREATER THAN THE RESPECTIVE DIMENSION OF THE SLABS, LOOSELY LAYING A RIBBON OF DIVIDER MATERIAL ACROSS THE SLABS AND THE SPACES THEREBETWEEN, INSERTING ADDITIONAL SLABS IN THE SPACES AT THE OPPOSITIE SIDE OF THE MATERIAL, AND MOVING THE SLABS TOGETHER INTO A GROUP OF SLABS WITH THE MATERIAL WOVEN THERETHROUGH. 